Dress code has been an ongoing argument at Rider High School for as long as I can remember. I’m sure it’s also a topic of conversation at other WFISD schools. While a long list of criticisms could be made about the policy, here is a condensed list of five things I wish we would change about the dress code.

Leggings

My first grievance is one that almost every girl at Rider has advocated for: leggings. Currently, students can only wear leggings if accompanied by a skirt/shorts that lay six inches above the knee while kneeling. I can tell you that almost no students want to wear that. You can catch probably 75 percent of the female student body wearing leggings any given weekend in the cool weather. They are not only thermal, but comfy while looking formal, unlike the perception of sweatpants. When worn with a decent sized T-shirt, there is almost no difference in the look of skinny jeans and leggings.

Hair Color

My second objection is hair color. We have been told that all students’ hair color must be “natural.” How would a student having pink in their hair affect the learning of the students around them? As we go through life, thousands of people, several of whom we will come in contact with, will have an unnatural hair color. What do we do then, when it’s “distracting us”? A student changing their hair should not be regulated by the school. It does nothing to harm or distract other students.

Piercings

The WFISD student handbook states that “Students are permitted to wear earrings in their ears only. All other body piercing objects are not allowed.” There is no difference in the level of distraction between a student having a ring in their ear and a ring in their nose. Also, there is no difference between a female wearing a hoop earring and a male wearing a hoop earring. Obviously a nose piercing is not visible at the moment due to mask regulations, but it would be appreciated throughout the student body if/when such requirements are stripped to have the option of a nose piercing.

Shorts

Texas weather is anything but kind, especially in sweltering August afternoons and May mornings. When 100-degree weather hits, wearing pants is absolutely miserable. Male students don’t face this struggle, as they can wear basketball shorts, even though half the time they are nowhere near dress code standards. While dress code states “students at secondary campuses may wear shorts provided they are the appropriate mid-thigh length with knee-length preferred,” most females at this school do not want to wear jean or khaki shorts mid-thigh or knee length. As long as the student is not wearing shorts that inappropriately display their body, I do not see a problem with female students wearing the typical wind shorts.

Rips in Jeans

In the case of rips in jeans, students can wear rips if they are below the knee and no larger than the width of the hand. I can understand why the administration doesn’t want students having frisbee-sized holes up and down a student’s pants, but how is one hole above my knee going to distract someone from learning? Why is someone looking at the holes in my jeans during class instead of the screen? Also, everyone has different-sized hands, so how is it fair that someone with a large hand gets to wear a eight-inch hole while someone with a small hand can only wear a four-inch hole? If someone’s entire thigh is showing, I understand, but getting dress-coded for a three-inch hole in my jeans is a little far.